Q&A with Cormac Kerrigan – Designs on Growth Graduate

Take five with Cormac Kerrigan, Managing Director of Bammedia, a multidisciplinary creative design agency known for its vibrant branding, engaging packaging, and impactful web development.  In this interview, Cormac talks about how, in Bammedia, they balance creativity with management and build lasting client relationships. He also describes his experiences as a graduate of Design Skillnet’s Designs On Growth programme.

• What type of work do Bammedia specialise in and what type of clients do you work with?

Bammedia is a multidisciplinary creative design agency. We deliver everything from Branding and logos to Packaging Design to Website Development and much more. We work with a wide array of clients nationwide, from startups and SMEs to Government Departments and local authorities. We have a particular forte in FMCG packaging design.

• How do you keep your brand unique, capture clients’ imagination and make sure it resonates with your audience and attract the right clients to your business in such a crowded landscape?

We’re usually creating colourful concepts and strong brand identities for our clients, so it made perfect sense for Bammedia to also hold a strong and colourful visual identity. Our current brand/logo is a blend of 8 different colours, which we’ve aimed to incorporate into our own website.

• One of Bammedia’s unique selling points is to Make an Impact – how does that translate into delivering a successful job for a client?

We like to think that anything we deliver is going to be impactful to an already competitive marketplace. Whether this is an up-and-coming brand/logo creation or unique retail packaging designs, we want to ensure our designs stand out ahead of the rest. We want our designs to Make an Impact!

FIRE & 5TH – IDI Packaging Design Awards Winner 2022.

NUNAIA – Silver Award Winner at the 2021 Pentawards.

• You transitioned from Head of Web Services and Operational Manager to Managing Director of Bammedia. What inspired you to take on a more leadership-focused role alongside Bridget?

Two words; Business Development. Whilst I know we’ve worked with many great businesses over the past decade, some of these were themselves only starting on their business journey and budgets were tight. It’s quite easy to continue taking on more of this kind of work and client. However, moving into this role allowed me to focus on securing bigger, more profitable work from government agencies and local authorities. This adds massively to Bammedia’s work portfolio but also to our business profitability.

• How do you balance the creative aspects of your work with the demands of management?

Most of my work is from a technical background. I do have creative input into some areas of our web work. However, the lion’s share of Bammedia’s creativity falls to my business partner (and wife), Bridget Kerrigan.

• Does stepping into this role pull you away from the creative side?

Does stepping into this role pull you away from the creative side?
Yes and No. My work is varied from both creative and technical website design development to the continuous wheel of business development and day-to-day administration.

• Even with your impressive portfolio, studios like Bammedia can face challenges… what were yours? And what did you want to achieve for Bammedia through a business accelerator programme like Designs on Growth?

We are both Graphic Designers and Web Developers. We didn’t go to business school, but yet found ourselves running a successful business that was founded back in 2006. We’ve completed many ad-hoc business development and management courses along the way, but the Designs on Growth appealed to us in a different way as it was aimed solely at designers and studio managers. We were also aware that some of Ireland’s leading design studios had previously come through the course and this was exactly where we wanted to position Bammedia. By doing this course we wanted to think differently about how we’ve run our business to date and how we can change, even small things, to help it to grow in the years to come.

• What impact has the completion of the Designs on Growth programme had on the way you manage your business?

This course gave us the confidence to be more assertive in securing the type of work we want and the companies we want to work for. It also gave us a great understanding of how to assess different aspects of our business service offering and explore what was profitable and what wasn’t. Finally, the course was a great opportunity to network with other like-minded designers and studio owners and to know that they, too, face the same day-to-day challenges as we do.

• What were your key takeaways from the Designs on Growth programme and how have you implemented them into your practice?

My key takeaways were how to better position ourselves in business and what our key service offering is. How to target specific profitable work and having the courage to sometimes turn away business when it’s not the right fit.

• Which modules were the most beneficial for your business and why?

I found both Marketing and Financial planning to be the most beneficial. Part of the marketing module gave an excellent understanding of how we should approach potential new customers and the key questions we need to ask ahead of taking on any new projects. The financials deep-dived into profit and loss and made me think differently about how I was looking at the overall business finances. It’s very easy to slip into really bad business habits, and this module helped me look at our finances more strategically.

• What were the benefits to learning with other Design professionals?

It was interesting meeting other designers and studio owners from all over Ireland, each with their own different stories and experiences. The course had attendees who were in the design business for years, working for some of the biggest studios in Dublin and then others who were only starting out. Learning how people approached their work from time to client management was fascinating. It was also inspiring to hear some of the niches that other attendees were forging within their own businesses.

• Have you seen any short-term return on investment? And do you foresee some long-lasting benefits?

Our yearly turnover is currently on course to pass out last year, which is always a plus! It’s hard to say if this is directly attributed to attending the course, but there was a definite shift in mindset towards how we run our business.

• Why would you recommend other designers enrol for the Designs on Growth programme?

I would recommend like-minded studio owners to enrol in the Designs on Growth. Whether you think you have it sussed or not, the ability to take the time to zoom out and look at your business setup and how you can improve on it is only going to be beneficial and something that you can continuously improve upon.

• What is your vision for the future of Bammedia? How do you plan to sustain growth and continue to innovate?

I would like to see our team grow with more permanent designers/developers in the years to come. Design (and design studios) can easily become stagnant and complacent and will inevitably need an injection of youth to bring about a different approach and keep us on top of new trends and new technologies.

• What advice would you give to someone who wants to scale their design business and client base without turning into a big global agency?

Focus on the quality of the work, not the quantity. If your work is tidy and professional, you will attract the right clients. This will also prevent you from being a busy fool for all the wrong clients.
Build a good relationship with your clients. Even as your business grows and you find yourself being pulled in every different direction, the ability to always be present for your client’s needs is half the battle. Once the work is good and the business owner has confidence in you, repeat business and referrals will always follow.
Finally, know your value and experience, and never let others dictate it.

Find out more about Design Skillnet’s Designs On Growth programme.